Rickey Henderson vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 as a hitter; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Stargell, with .282 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Rickey Henderson
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Willie Stargell. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .360 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell leads Rickey Henderson 42,804 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 2,038 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Willie Stargell played 21 seasons to Rickey Henderson's 29. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Rickey Henderson owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rickey Henderson and Willie Stargell careers compare
The careers of Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) overlapped from 1979 to 1982, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,081 games against 2,360 across 29 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), but Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Stargell's hits: 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson, 475 of 2,232 for Willie Stargell.
Rickey Henderson vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Willie Stargell in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Stargell, with .282 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.